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June 29, 2009

G76: Red Sox 4, Orioles 0

J.D. Drew tripled on the third pitch of the game and scored the game's first run. He also hit a two-run homer in the fourth and singled in the sixth -- and made several nice running catches in right field.

Jason Varitek and Mark Kotsay each singled twice, Jacoby Ellsbury stole two bases, and Dustin Pedroia singled and walked twice. Jason Bay (0-for-5) recorded the game's final out with a back-handed tumbling catch in short left field.

Boston has scored a mere nine runs in its last four games, batting only .205/.261/.291 as a team.

Perhaps facing the last-place Orioles (34-41, 12 GB) -- with a staff ERA of 5.01, third-worst in MLB, and a rookie making his seventh career start -- will get the bats going again.

In his last start, Berken allowed three runs (two earned) to the Marlins in five innings. He has gone more than five innings only once in his last four starts.

Lester has given up three or fewer earned runs in six of his last seven starts. In his four June starts, Lester has a 2.33 ERA. Against Baltimore on April 19, Lester threw seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts. Boston swept that series (April 17-20), outscoring the Orioles 30-14.

All right, I posted in the wrong thread. Read my peevy comment while waiting for Pedey to drive in DJ:

Buried in Cafardo's Baseball Notes from yesterday is the assertion that Dice-K didn't do the Red Sox strength conditioning program because he seemed "convinced that a Japanese shoulder is different from an American shoulder."

I don't know that this is true as stated. Having lived in Japan, I am always sticking up for Japan. But I have to say that this is one of the most maddening aspects of Japanese culture -- the exaggerated sense of uniqueness.

The most ridiculous and extreme example I have heard of: ski manufacturers complaining to the Japanese government about protectionism were told that Japanese snow is different from snow in other countries, so skis manufactured in other countries won't work properly in Japan.

For Dice-K to make the kind of career commitment he has, he must be able to see beyond this kind of thinking. I hope so -- I even think so. Even Cafardo says he's come around by now. But reading that really set me off.

Meant to comment in the other thread. Cafardo is saying nothing more than what the Herald's Michael Silverman reported last Tuesday -- 5 days earlier. I linked to that story here. (I.e., Cafardo is a worthless unoriginal hack.)

Redsock - at the risk of sounding like a Tito basher, Francona denying this charge does not really mean anything. Terry would try to protect his player publicly (see Payton from a couple of years ago).

The notion that the Japanese shoulder is unique smells to me like a comment that would have come from a Japanese management or coaching source. I like to think that younger Japanese don't buy into that kind of thinking, at least not as much. But, then again, our US baseball heroes so often end up espousing points of view that are anything but sophisticated, so perhaps it's not fair to expect more from Dice-K.

"But, then again, our US baseball heroes so often end up espousing points of view that are anything but sophisticated, so perhaps it's not fair to expect more from Dice-K."

Maybe not fair, but who can blame us for hoping.

Like what Allan posted about Smoltz's homophobia (at least in the recent past). We know that many male athletes in team sports are homophobic, and we know many professional athletes tend to be more traditional (for lack of a better word), but still, we hope.

40 years of dealing with student athletes: I don't know if homophobia has decreased but everyone knows now to more or less shut up about it if they want to avoid trouble. I'm not sure if that's much of an improvement but it does perhaps make life easier for closeted people in my classes. Not a lot of people out of the closet in hick community colleges and Job Corps, places I've worked....

OK, good, no one threw anything at my head for praising Rivera. I enjoy watching him blow a save as much as anyone, especially because he is so great. And choking against the Sox---in the post season---AHHH, what joy!

s1c, I think most Red Sox fans have a lot of respect for him and we found that out in 2005 on Ring Day. I thought that was one of the great moments that I've seen in baseball outside of an actual game.

I always liked how easy 'Bat's made it look. He throws that cutter then just stands there after his followthrough. He's not flashy. He's not falling off the mound. He's not throwing arms and legs at you.

Bot looks more like he's putting everything he's got into his pitches.

Our latest additions to JoS1 are Lisa Cohen and Vrictare (mom and son, unbeknownst to me!) and a couple driving up from Virginia. Mom is an avid JoS reader but doesn't thread. Karen and... someone. Richard, maybe.